"Eating too much MSG will make you stupid", "Eating MSG every day will make you age faster and is bad for your health"…… Rumors about MSG have almost never stopped. In an era where increasing attention is paid to nutrition and dietary health, people's concerns about MSG are also growing. What exactly is MSG? Does it have an impact on human health?
As early as 1907, the Japanese discovered that when evaporating seaweed soup, a umami substance could be obtained. When added to food, it significantly enhances the umami flavor. This is monosodium glutamate. Later, people obtained monosodium glutamate by fermenting raw materials such as starch and sugar beet, which is what we commonly call MSG. The production process of MSG does not add any chemical raw materials. MSG currently sold on the market is a highly purified fermented product. According to China's national standards, its monosodium glutamate content is at least 80%.
Is MSG safe? There are many such discussions and researches both domestically and internationally. Reviews by authoritative bodies such as the US FDA, the American Medical Association, the FAO/WHO Joint Expert Committee on Food Additives have shown that the use of MSG in food is "not limited" and there is no need to worry about its safety.
At the same time, voices about the potential health risks of MSG have also frequently appeared. Zhai Fengying, Deputy Director of the Institute of Nutrition and Food Safety at the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, stated that in their investigation, they found a certain correlation between MSG consumption and being overweight among Chinese adult residents. The proportion of overweight and obese individuals among those with an average daily MSG consumption of over 1 gram was 37%, while it was 28% for those consuming less than 1 gram. A cumulative daily intake of MSG exceeding 2.2 grams significantly increases the risk of being overweight. Researchers at North Carolina State University in the United States conducted a 5.5-year follow-up survey on the dietary habits of 10,000 Chinese adults. The results showed that compared to people who consumed less than 0.5 grams of MSG per day, those who consumed more than 5 grams had a 30% higher chance of being overweight or obese after 5.5 years. Japanese researchers have also found that excessive MSG may lead to vision damage; and because MSG contains sodium, excessive intake may also lead to high blood pressure.
As a flavor enhancer, moderate MSG intake for adults is generally not a problem. Professor Ma Liping, Vice Chairman of the Guangxi Nutrition Society, stated that children and the elderly with chronic diseases such as high blood pressure should preferably avoid MSG. Ma Liping also reminded many people that chicken essence is healthier than MSG, but in fact, the main ingredients of chicken essence are still MSG and salt, with little relation to chicken, so one should not be misled.